1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manufacturing fiberglass articles, and more particularly, to a manufacturing process that includes inlaying of designs in fiberglass articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many processes to develop fiberglass articles have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include a process of inlaying a design in a fiberglass article to provide a decorative article of manufacture. In the preferred embodiment, the decorative article of manufacture is substantially planar. At least one lamina of the decorative article serves as a background and includes resin having white pigmentation. The white pigmentation is for optimal optical reflection, thereby maintaining the visual integrity of the design when inlayed and set within the fiberglass article.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,004 issued to Stecker for process for making a multi-layered solid surface article. However, it differs from the present invention because Stecker teaches a process for producing a decorative article having a face layer of multiple laminae. A first curable resin is formed into a first lamina having a face layer with a relief and a substantially planar back layer. The first resin is cured and then a second curable resin is applied to the face layer of the first lamina. The second resin is then cured to produce a second lamina and the first and second laminae are then sanded to provide a decorative article of manufacture having a substantially planar face layer.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.